1 / 21

Effective Utility Management: Its All About Sustainability

Effective Utility Management: Its All About Sustainability. NJ AEA Conference January 16, 2013 Jim Horne, U.S. EPA. EPA’s Sustainability Policy: The 3 Dimensions of Water Sector Sustainability. The “Current State”. Water/wastewater utilities are facing unprecedented challenges

camille-banks
Download Presentation

Effective Utility Management: Its All About Sustainability

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Effective Utility Management:Its All About Sustainability NJ AEA Conference January 16, 2013 Jim Horne, U.S. EPA

  2. EPA’s Sustainability Policy: The 3 Dimensions of Water Sector Sustainability

  3. The “Current State” • Water/wastewater utilities are facing unprecedented challenges • aging infrastructure and workforce • continuing regulatory challenges • unclear prospects for future federal funding • increasing customer and community demands for service • short-term perspective of elected officials • And of course, Climate! • Economic downturn has exacerbated these challenges • Greater focus on day-to-day; less on innovation and sustainability EUM

  4. A Water Sector Industry Effort Effective Utility Management (EUM) Endorsed by the EPA and six water sector industry collaborating organizations

  5. EUM – Historical Perspective • The Beginning 2007-2008 • Why and How • Something to bring other utility management initiatives together • Provide a set of outcomes (Attributes) for utilities to strive for—regardless of size • In other words a “common management framework” • Not intended to be a replacement for other programs • Assembled by utilities—for utilities • EPA and Associations were the enablers and supporters

  6. Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities—the 360 degree look

  7. Effective Utility Management Primer June 2008

  8. “Softer” Attributes are Also Critical • Stakeholder Understanding and Support -- critical for “building your case” • Employee Leadership and Development -- right people, right skills, right vision -- more than technical skills needed • Community Sustainability -- aligning your priorities with other community goals -- great context for addressing climate and resiliency challenges

  9. What Else is Going On? • WaterRF EUM Benchmarking Tool • EPA Planning for Sustainability Handbook • Effective Practices “Roadmap” (conventional and emergent models) • The Utility of the Future • Energy Management -- EPA Guidebook and Workshops -- WEF Energy Roadmap • Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU)

  10. WaterRF EUM Benchmarking Tool • WaterRF is developing (CH2M Hill is the PI) • Builds directly from the EUM primer, but is more detailed • Will allow utilities to benchmark internally or with others based on the EUM Attributes, specific practices, and associated metrics • Tool will be beta tested by approx. 25 utilities early next year and completed in late 2013

  11. Planning for Sustainability Handbook • Effective planning is critical to EUM and long-term sustainability • EPA has developed a Handbook showing how to build sustainability into key phases of planning • Built around 4 Core Elements -- Goal setting with other community stakeholders -- Objectives and Strategies -- Alternatives Analysis -- Financial Strategies • Webinar series now underway

  12. Importance of Effective Practices • Adoption of effective practices is also a foundation of EUM and sustainability • They make things real! • EPA recently hosted meeting with leading utilities to ask “What’s next and how can we collaborate going forward?” • Group focused on the importance of utility management practices under two models -- Conventional model of utility management (current state for most) -- Emergent model (where industry should be heading) • Now beginning to develop a roadmap to help utilities adopt leading practices using both models

  13. Conventional and Emergent Utility Management Models Conventional Emergent • Cost effective response to regulatory requirement • Providing a single service—safe drinking water/treated WW • Community engagement focused on direct impacts • rate increases, odor, construction • Operational strategies focused on areas of direct control (collection to discharge) • Short-term horizons for infrastructure ROI (5-10 years) • Expanded view of services (resource recovery, total water management) • Leadership role in the community to spur economic development • Operational strategies that depend on external parties -- GI, energy production, trading • Extended time horizons for infrastructure ROI

  14. The Water Resource Utility of the Future: Blueprint for Action • Effort being led by NACWA, WEF, and WERF • Blueprint will address key issues like: -- What is the Utility of the Future? -- What’s the business case needed to move forward? -- What’s missing and what has to change? (barriers, incentives, legislation, practices, etc.) • Timing: Internal draft now under review • Final Paper: late January/early February

  15. Energy Management • Critical opportunity for utilities to move toward sustainability • EPA is promoting energy management through our Energy Management Guidebook • WEF is promoting energy sustainability through its Energy Roadmap • Both efforts stress the importance of strategic planning, making the right choices, and moving forward

  16. WEF Energy Roadmap • Purpose is to help WW utilities improve energy efficiency and move toward “zero net” energy • Organized around six topics—Strategic Management, Organizational Culture, Communications and Outreach, Demand Side Management, Energy Generation, Innovating for the Future • Describes steps and practices to get there, regardless of your starting point

  17. Climate Ready Water Utilities Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool Climate Ready Process Extreme Events Workshop Planner Adaptation Strategies Guide Toolbox Adaptive Response Framework Learn Climate and Adaptation Basics Explore Elements of Climate Readiness Assess Risks and Evaluate Opportunities Research and Gather Information Collaborate with Partners

  18. Climate Ready Water Utilities Webinar Training Series Register at www.epa.gov/climatereadyutilities. Email CRWUhelp@epa.gov with questions

  19. Current State and Relevance of EUM • Very good—still strongly supported by original partners and used by a growing number of utilities • Is becoming a well accepted framework for improving performance • Embedded in national conferences (WEFTEC, ACE, UMC) • EUM provides a solid foundation for assessing and improving—under either the “conventional” or “emergent” models • Also supports adaptive management as new challenges arise—e.g. Utility of the Future • So, you bet its still relevant-- now more than ever!

  20. Bringing Things Full Circle • Public Trust and transparency is the “coin of the realm” for utilities • More important than ever before in the face of new challenges like climate, etc. • Sustainable water utilities are essential to a sustainable community • The latter can’t happen without the former • Neither can exist without building strong and lasting public trust • Effective and sustainable management is what gets you there!

  21. THANK YOU! horne.james@epa.gov (202) 564-0571 http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/index.cfm

More Related